The Video Game Protagonist 22% Of People Hate The Most
Throughout history, there have been countless video game protagonists that have won the hearts of gamers everywhere. Whether it's Mario, the brave Italian plumber; Samus Aran, the powerful bounty hunter; Solid Snake, the gruff stealth agent; or Lara Croft, the daring archeologist, there's a digital hero for everyone.
Of course, it's not always the hero that players identify with or find entertaining. Maybe you're a Sephiroth fan, or you prefer to keep it simple and root for the princess-stealing Bowser. There are plenty of baddies you can choose from as your favorite character, just as there are countless full-on villains who are universally despised.
But what about good guys who are just plain unlikeable? Just because a character is the hero doesn't necessarily mean they automatically have redeemable qualities or are fun to spend time with. Everyone has characters that they can't stand, but just who is the most hated protagonist in a video game series? After polling 516 US participants, SVG is pretty sure it has an answer. Get ready, because the results may shock you.
At 22%, the Duke got nuked
Coming in at 22%, there's one thing that's clear from this poll: gamers are over Duke Nukem.
Duke got his start in 1991 when he starred in the eponymous "Duke Nukem." With an atomic pistol by his side, he blasted his way through a side-scrolling adventure to stop the evil Dr. Proton. As detailed by Hupshup, it wasn't until "Duke Nukem 3D" that the character became a household name.
Unfortunately, the most recent installment in the series was "Duke Nukem Forever," which stalled out during production and took 15 years to develop. Not only was that game seriously overhyped, but it totally flopped. Was one bad sequel enough to dethrone the Duke, or were people getting tired of him well before this?
When you play "Duke Nukem 3D," it becomes abundantly clear that this video game character is totally inappropriate in this day and age. With that in mind, it kind of makes sense that Duke Nukem is now one of the most hated video game protagonists.
Following Duke Nukem, another gun-toting hero landed in second place. Fans decided that Master Chief is the second-most-hated protagonist with 18% of the vote, followed by Cloud from "Final Fantasy 7," who earned 15% from voters.